http://www.lahontanvalleynews.com/article/20051213/Opinion/112130023
Something's wrong when a felon with an extensive criminal record can walk into a gun shop, buy a handgun, then enter a crowded casino and start shooting.
That appears to be exactly what happened recently at Harrah's Casino in South Lake Tahoe. Although the exact facts of the case are not fully known because the gunman, 53-year-old Harvey Ex, was shot dead at the scene, it is clear that something went terribly wrong. Fortunately, two police officers were able to take the gunman down before he killed anybody else, but not before he shot and wounded them.
What's wrong with this picture?
Well, for one, the fact that Ex had a gun in the first place speaks to appalling failure of the system that determines who is allowed to buy and own a handgun.
Ex should have never been permitted in the first place to buy the .32 caliber pistol that he used to shoot Douglas County Sheriff's Deputies Erik Eissinger and Dan Nelson before he himself was shot and killed. The only reason he wasn't in jail is because a Las Vegas court let him loose on probation for a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon.
The Brady Bill, a federal gun control measure passed by Congress in 1993, is supposed to stop criminals like Ex from obtaining handguns. The law, named after President Regan's press secretary James Brady, who was shot in an attempt on Regan's life, prohibits the sale of handguns to felons and requires a waiting period on the purchase of and licensing of new handguns purchased by law-abiding citizens. However, a loophole in the law allows people to buy handguns that are classified as "antiques," such as the one Ex apparently bought that day. Congress needs to fix this defect in the Brady Bill.
It is also surprising that Harrah's and other casinos haven't taken a tougher stance against allowing firearms on their property. Though the casino says it does not allow handguns on the premises, it has not taken any substantive steps, like installing metal detectors or searching customers, to keep them out.
Of course, it is impossible to plan for every contingency or prevent every lunatic bent on hurting someone from having his or her way. Nevertheless, the world has changed and it just makes sense to take extra precautions when it comes to keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and criminals out of places where they can hurt people.
Something's wrong when a felon with an extensive criminal record can walk into a gun shop, buy a handgun, then enter a crowded casino and start shooting.
That appears to be exactly what happened recently at Harrah's Casino in South Lake Tahoe. Although the exact facts of the case are not fully known because the gunman, 53-year-old Harvey Ex, was shot dead at the scene, it is clear that something went terribly wrong. Fortunately, two police officers were able to take the gunman down before he killed anybody else, but not before he shot and wounded them.
What's wrong with this picture?
Well, for one, the fact that Ex had a gun in the first place speaks to appalling failure of the system that determines who is allowed to buy and own a handgun.
Ex should have never been permitted in the first place to buy the .32 caliber pistol that he used to shoot Douglas County Sheriff's Deputies Erik Eissinger and Dan Nelson before he himself was shot and killed. The only reason he wasn't in jail is because a Las Vegas court let him loose on probation for a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon.
The Brady Bill, a federal gun control measure passed by Congress in 1993, is supposed to stop criminals like Ex from obtaining handguns. The law, named after President Regan's press secretary James Brady, who was shot in an attempt on Regan's life, prohibits the sale of handguns to felons and requires a waiting period on the purchase of and licensing of new handguns purchased by law-abiding citizens. However, a loophole in the law allows people to buy handguns that are classified as "antiques," such as the one Ex apparently bought that day. Congress needs to fix this defect in the Brady Bill.
It is also surprising that Harrah's and other casinos haven't taken a tougher stance against allowing firearms on their property. Though the casino says it does not allow handguns on the premises, it has not taken any substantive steps, like installing metal detectors or searching customers, to keep them out.
Of course, it is impossible to plan for every contingency or prevent every lunatic bent on hurting someone from having his or her way. Nevertheless, the world has changed and it just makes sense to take extra precautions when it comes to keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and criminals out of places where they can hurt people.
